Saucer-shaped children&#39;s ambulatory play device



E. HOWLAND July 26, 1966 SAUCER-SHAPED CHILDREN'S AMBULATORY PLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1964 EHHIIIIU $HHHM \LL .imllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllll .llllllllllll INVENTOR.

Egbert How H6ENT July 26, 1966 E. HOWLAND SAUCER-SHAPED CHILDREN'S AMBULATORY PLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Egbert Howmnd QQ2MJLM United States Patent 3,262,701 SAUCER-SHAPED CHILDRENS AMBULATORY PLAY DEVICE Egbert Howland, 2 9% Locust Ave, Danbury, Conn. Filed Sept. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 394,493 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-60) This invention relates to childrens play or sports devices, and more particularly to mobile or ambulatory devices of the type adapted to be ridden by a child, and which require a certain degree of skill in their manipulation.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved ambulatory sports device which in an interestarousing manner challenges a childs ability and skills, and which constitutes an unusual means for enabling a child to traverse short distances of terrain by an extremely interesting and novel mode of travel.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved ambulatory sports device of the kind indicated, the operation of which may be easily and quickly mastered even by children of tender years or of less than average intellect or skill.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved sports or play device as above characterized, which is especially safe to use whereby the likelihood of injury to the user is extremely remote.

' Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mobile or ambulatory device as above set forth, which is particularly simple in its construction, and economical to fabricate and produce.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a unique play device in accordance with the foregoing, which is sturdy and durable whereby it will withstand severe usage without breaking down or getting out of order.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like components throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side or edge elevational view on a reduced scale, of the ambulatory play device as provided by the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan View of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side or edge view of the device supported on the ground, showing a child astride the same and indicating the manner of use of the device.

FIG. 4 is a view like that of FIG. 1, but illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, the present improved play device as shown therein is generally of saucer shape, being advantageously fabricated of sheet metal as by spinning operations and having sufficient strength to enable a child to be supported on it in the manner shown in FIG. 3. As seen in this figure, the child straddles the device or more specifically stands astraddle fashion on it, with his two feet placed adjacent the opposite peripheral portions thereof.

The play device thus comprises a substantially rigid dished formation of sheet metal, wherein the thickness and strength of the metal together with the formed offset Wall shapes thereof will enable a childs Weight to be readily supported, without danger of collapse or deformation. The device has a rounded, generally annular peripheral edge in the form of a curled head, said edge portion having a diameter which is substantially in excess of one foot. For example, the outside or overall diameter of the peripheral edge bead 10 may be advanice used by a child, and to enable its operation to be effected in the intended or desired manner.

The play device further comprises a generally circular and generally fiat central portion 12 which has a diameter normally measured in inches rather than feet, such diameter being advantageously on the order of 6 inches or so. It will be understood, however, that the central portion 12 may depart from such figure without impairing appreciably the utility of the play device. For example, the central portion 12 may be on the order of one or two inches in diameter, or it may be substantially in excess of 6 inches in diameter, which will be readily appreciated as the description proceeds and the use of the device is understood.

In accordance with the invention, intermediate the center portion 12 and the peripheral portion 10 there is provided a plurality of substantially concentrically arranged stiffening offset wall portions which form a generally conical connector wall between said central and peripheral portions. The offset wall portions are shown herein as comprising a series or multiplicity of annular shoulder formations and annular fiat wall parts. For example, as seen in FIG. 1, there may be annular shoulder formations 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32, these designations being given in the order of decreasing diameters of the shoulder portions starting with the outer peripheral portion 19 of the device and ending with the central portion 12 thereof. Intermediate the annular shoulder formations as listed above are annular flat wall parts, designated 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50. These designations for the annular flat wall parts are also given in the order of decreasing diameters of the said parts, the wall part 34 being nearest the outer peripheral portion 10 of the device whereas the wall part 50 is nearest to the central portion 12 of the device which is seen to be generally circular and externally flat, with a diameterappreciably less than the overall diameter.

The play device is thus seen to be a substantially internally concave and externally convex rigid dished formation.

It will be noted that the heights of the shoulder formations as a general rule constitute small multiples of the thickness of the sheet metal. In the drawings, the thickness of the sheet metal is exaggerated for purposes of clarity of illustration, but it will be understood that the shoulder formations are in general of relatively small height, and this is of importance in limiting the total depth of the saucer-like toy device, measured from the outer rim portion 10 to the central portion 12, and is further of importance in providing a stable annular foot rest surface indicated generally by the numeral 54 in FIG. 1, adjoining the peripheral edge portion 10. It will be seen that such foot rest surface enables the user to stand without danger of slippage within the outermost shoulder formation 14 (hereinafter also termed a generally annular peripheral flange having a rounded edge portion) by placing his feet as illustrated in FIG. 3, and that the said outermost shoulder 14 constitutes an upstanding annular safety flange which functions as a stop to prevent slipping of the feet outward past the edge portion.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the annular fiat wall part 42 is disposed inside of an imaginary cone containing the outer peripheral portion 10 and the periphery of thecentral portion 12 of the device. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the annular flat wall part 42a is disposed outside of the said imaginary cone containing the peripheral portion 10 and the central portion 12. Such outer dis position of the flat wall part 42a enables the same to constitute a fulcrum for engagement with the ground, when the play device is in a tilted position.

Operation of the play device is as follows: Referring to FIG. .3, the child straddles the saucer device as indicated, and then while maintaining his balance, rocks the device from said to side and also employs somewhat of a turning or circular movement. In so doing, the child is able to make the device traverse the supporting terrain, either'in a somewhat straight path or else in a path which is curved or irregular. The means by which such traversal is effected involves the contact of the various shoulders provided with the ground at different times, in conjunction with a slight arcuate or turning movement which is imparted to the device. For instance, the shoulder 32 of the central portion 12 may be made to engage different areas of the supporting surface or ground, as well as the shoulder 14 at the periphery of the device. With the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, 'the shoulder 42a may also be made to engage different areas of the supporting terrain. It is thus possible, by standing astraddle the device and employing the proper movements, to travel in various directions, and the path and speed may be controlled by the movements of the child astraddle the device.

I have found that the operation of such a device may be quite easily and quickly mastered by youngsters of average or even less than average intelligence, and also by children of tender years. Also, the operation of the device provokes considerable interest, and the child finds special satisfaction in being able to master the necessary skills and to manipulate the device for effecting the desired travel. Various games maybe thought of, utilizing several of these play devices manned by children, and also opposing teams may be chosen, to participate in assigned goals or objectives.

It is to be noted that the offset Wall formations provide the desired degree of strength and rigidity to the device, enabling a lighter gauge of sheet metal to be used, and that the offset wall formations also tend to minimize nicks, scratches, dents and the like. The provision of the inwardly offset wall part 44 constitutes a distinct reinforcement for the shoulders 42, 42a, providing added rigidity and resilience to the play device.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A saucer-shaped childrens play device adapted to support a child standing on it astraddle fashion, said device comprising an upright substantially internally concave and externally convex rigid dished formation, said formation having a generally annular peripheral flange having a rounded edge portion substantially in excess of a foot in diameter and having a generally circular and externally fiat central portion of diameter less than said edge diameter, there being intermediate the said portions a plurality of substantially annular concentrically arranged stiifening mutually offset Wall portions forming a generally conical connector means between said central portion and peripheral flange, those wall portions of the device adjacent the said peripheral flange constituting means affording an annular foot rest surface, and said flange constituting means to prevent slipping of the users feet outward past the edge portion.

2. A play device as in claim 1, wherein the concentrically arranged offset wall portions comprise a largediameter set and a small-diameter set located respectively adjacent the said peripheral flange and flat central portion, said dished formation having between the said sets an upwardly-displaced annular reinforcement portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,199,915 5/1940 Howard.

2,804,123 8/1957 Kling 272 33 2,878,858 3/1959 Winchester 272-33 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,061,643 7/1959 Germany.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SAUCER-SHAPED CHILDREN''S PLAY DEVICE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A CHILD STANDING ON IT ASTRADDLE FASHION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY INTERNALLY CONCAVE AND EXTERNALLY CONVEX RIGID DISHED FORMATION, SAID FORMATION HAVING A GENERALLY ANNULAR PERIPHERAL FLANGE HAVING A ROUNDED EDGE PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF A FOOT IN DIAMETER AND HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR AND EXTERNALLY FLAT CENTRAL PORTION OF DIAMETER LESS THAN SAID EDGE DIAMETER, THERE BEING INTERMEDIATE THE SAID PORTIONS A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED STIFFENING MUTUALLY OFSET WALL PORTIONS FORMING A GENERALLY CONICAL CONNECTOR MEANS BETWEEN SAID CEN- 